Gas-meter



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H; A. TOBEY.

GAS METER.

model.)

Patented Dec. 13, 1892'. I

(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2."

H. A. TOBEY.

GAS METER.

No. 487,907. Patented Dec 13, 1892.

1w: uoams in no. PrjOTOLflfNO. WASHINGTON, b. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

HENRY A. TOBEY, on TOLEDO, OHlO.

GAS -METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,907, dated December13, 1892.

Application filed December 15, 1890- Serial No, 374,846- (ModeL) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. TOBEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo,

first, to provide such meter with ports of pe-- culiar form andarrangement and with a rotary slide-valve actuated by the pressure ofthe liquid to be measured, so that the induction and eduction portsshall present substantially a uniform and unvarying area of opening,thereby preventing pulsation; second, to

provide such-meter with a central crank-shaft actuated by the movementof a plurality of diaphragms and adapted to give motion to the rotaryslide-valve, above referred to, and to the registering mechanism of themeter; third, to provide such meter with a valve and valveseat in whichthe perfect contact of the surfaces shall be preserved by the uniformwear of the parts.

The invention consists in the parts and combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings made part hereof like fig- V ures represent like partsthroughout the sevshowing the valve in the position of having made ahalf-circle of the ports, showing the port discharging in Fig. 3 asreceiving and the one receiving, same figure, as discharging; Fig. 5, aplan view of the base and valve-seat,

ered by lids forming segments of the sphere. 6o

1 designatesthe shell, in the present instance shown as composed of aframe 2, formed with three circular openings 3, closed by removable lidsor caps 4, held in place by an encirclingband 5, having a tensionaladjustment by means of a bolt and nut 6 and 7, passed through theprojecting ends of the band. Each opening is formed with a flange 8,upon which the outer edge of a flexible diaphragm 9 rests,

which diaphragm is clamped firmly in place by a coincident flange orface 10 upon the cap 4, the edge of the diaphragm acting as a gasketbetween the surfaces of flanges 8 and 9, the space between the diaphragmand lid constituting a diaphragm-chamber. 11, as shown in 7 5 Fig. 2, isa depression for the reception of a registering device 12, Figs. 1 and2. The lower side of the shell has a circular opening 13, closed by thebase, hereinafter referred to.

14 designates passages formed in the shell in communioationwith thecentral chamber of the meter and the diaphragm-chambers 15.

16 is a bridge or yoke across the lower part of the interior of theshell, and serves as a support for the lower end of crank-shaft 18,

which passes through and is journaled in a central opening in the bridgeor yoke. Crankshaft 18 is disposed axially of the shell and is journaledat its upper end in the bearing 21 and is adapted to be connected withthe gearing of any suitable registering device.

In the construction chosen for illustration of my invention I employthree diaphragms 9, each of which is connected with a crank 24 ofcrank-shaft 18 by means of a light con- 9 5 necting-rod 25, secured tothe diaphragm by means of a hook and eyebolt 26, engaging metal washersor plates 27, the opposite end of the rod being connected with the crankby means of hooks and eyes or other suitable Ioc means.

Shell 1 rests upon and is secured to base 29 by bolts 30. (See Figs. 1and 2.) Base 29 is formed with an inlet 31, leading from the supply-pipeinto the interior of the shell, serving as the induction-port of themeter, there being an opening 32, leading from the center of theinterior of the shell through the base, which serves as an eduction-portof the meter. Both ports are screw-threaded to receive connecting-pipes.

33 designates ports in the valve-seat communicating with openings 14,formed in the shell. Ports 33 when uncovered permit the passage of fluidto and from chambers 15 through conduits 33 34 1 1. (See Fig. 2.)

35 is a horizontal flat valve-seat projecting slightly above theremainder of the base, and in this valve-seat are formed ports 33 andeduction-port 32. Sliding upon this valveseat is valve 19, whichresembles in shape an inverted cup, the lower edge of the cup forming aflat annular face 36, (see Fig. 6,) designed when actuated by crank 17on the lower end of crank-shaft 18 to rotate in a horizontal plane andto successively and progressively open and close ports 33 in thevalveseat. The cup or chamber 37 of valve 19 is of sufficient diameterto establish at alltimes communication between one of the ports 33 andthe central opening 32 as the valve moves in its circular path roundcentral port 32. The outer edge of the face of the valve projectsslightly beyond the outer edge of the elevated valve-seat 35, and thevalve being journaled loosely on the end of the crankshaft is free toturn on its own axis as it travels bodily around the axis of thevalveseat. This double motion of the valve insures the uniform wear ofthe faces in contact, and prevents the accumulation of grit or dirt,which is constantly pushed outward and falls over the edge of the raisedvalve-seat.

In order to secure the greatest area of portopening for ports 33, Iadopt the form shown in the drawings. It will be observed that the linesof the outer edges of these ports are segments of a circle of the samecircumference as the outer edge of valve 19, and that the two lines ofthe inner sides of these ports which intersect the outer lines aresegments of a circle of the same circumference as the inner edge of thevalve. These ports, in this instance three in number, are placedequidistant in the circular path of the valve and are arranged in suchrelation to the face of the valve that when the face of the valve coverseither of the ports,preparatoryto opening that port either to dischargeor receive, the outer and inner edges of the valve-face coincidesubstantially with an outer and an inner edge of that port, as the casemay be.

The operation of my device is as follows: The fluid is admitted to themeter through opening 31 and passes into the central triangular spaceformed by the diaphragms and the top and bottom of the meter. Theposition of the valve at all times is such that the central space isalways open to one or more of chambers 15 through one of the ports 33,or substantially its equivalent in area, and

one of the ports or its equivalent in area is always open to thedischarge opening 32 through concavity 37 in valve 19. (See Figs. 3 and4.) It will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 that chamber 15 is receiving,15 is discharging, and 15 is filled. The movement of the valve iseffected in the following manner: The central space being filled withthe fluid at its initial pressure and the position of the valve suchthat one of the chambers 15 is discharging, the return of the diaphragmto the inner surface of the shell, caused by the pressure exertedthereon by the fluid in the central space, causes the diaphragm to pullupon the crank through its connecting-rod 25, thereby revolving shaft18, causing the lower crank 17 to move the valve in a circular path andto change the relation of the valve and port openings, so that the nextdiaphragm 15 with its connecting-rod is operated upon in the samemanner, and so on, in succession, until the crank-shaft and valve havedescribed a complete revolution, one of the diaphragmchambers beingconstantly full, or nearly so, one emptying, and the other filling. Thusthe successive progressive filling and emptying of thediaphragm-chambers imparts a regular rotary movement to the shaft, therevolutions, each of which corresponds with the definite aggregatecapacity of the three chambers, being indicated by the registeringdevice. It will be seen that the constant direction of the force appliedto the diaphragms is from within and outward, and that the valve andregistering mechanisms are actuated by the successive progressive pullsof the connect ing-rods 25, thus avoiding the click and noise ofreciprocating parts. It will also be seen that the ports are opened andclosed with a progressive shearing movement of the valve, which mayresult in the partial opening of one port and the partial closing ofanother, but at all times maintaining a uniform portopening through themeter, thereby guarding against pulsation in the discharge of fluid.

While I may vary the form of the inclosing shell, I prefer the sphericalform shown, it being not only compact and neat in appearance, but havinga greater strength than any other form.

I do not limit my invention to a meter having three diaphragms, asobviously the diaphragm-chambers, connecting-conduits, and ports may beincreased, if desired, as any number of ports in the circle of thetravel of the valve will operate on the same principle as aboveindicated. Neither do I limit myself to the exact form of valve hereshown, as other valves may be employed, singly or in series, withoutdeparting from my invention.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A meter spherical in general outline and having removable capsadapted to form measuring-chambers, in conjunction with the diaphragms,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

IIO

2. A meter having a shell composed of a frame provided with equidistantopenings having detachable lids, substantially as shown and described,for the purpose specified.

3. A meter having a shell spherical in general outline, comprising inits construction a frame 2, having openings closed by lids, (sphericalsegments 4,) said lids being held in place by means of encircling band5, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

4. A meter having a shell spherical-in general outline, composed of aframe provided with equidistant openings having detachable lids, incombination with flexible diaphragms clamped between the margins of saidopenings and said lids, substantially as shown and described, for thepurpose specified. 1

5. A meter having a shell spherical in general outline, composed of aframe provided with equidistant openings having detachable lids, incombination with flexible diaphragms clamped between the margins of saidopenings and said lids, the spaces between the diaphragms and lidsforming measuring-chambers and the margin of the diaphragms serving asgaskets for the joints formed by the juncture of thelids and frames,substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

6. A series of ports in a valve-seat arranged equidistant in the path ofa valve adapted to move in a circle, the marginal lines of said portsbeing segments of the inner and outer circles of the annular face ofsaid valve, substantially as shown and described, for the purposespecified.

7. A valve provided with an annular face and a central concavity andmoving by the means described in a circular path, in combination with avalve-seat having a central opening, and a series of ports ofsubstantially the contour described, adapted by means of their relationto the path of the Valve, said central opening, the annular valve-face,and the concavity of the valve to maintain a portopening through a meterof constant and unvarying area, all substantially as shown anddescribed,for the purpose specified.

8. A gas-meter comprising in its construction a shell spherical ingeneral outline, provided with equidistant openings having detachablelids, a series of flexible diaphragms arranged at intervals upon theinterior of the shell, forming diaphragm or measuring chambers betweenthe shell and diaphragms, a crank-shaft connected with said diaphragms,a registering mechanism connected with said crank-shaft, a valveconnected with and actuated by said shaft, an inlet to said shell, anoutlet therefrom, a series of conduits connecting saidmeasuring-chambers with the central chamber of said shell, said outletand said conduits being controlled by said valve, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

HENRY A. TOBEY.

Witnesses:

ISAAC N. HUNTSBERGER, J. M. LONGNEOKER.

